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Quote: Originally Posted by DougsGirl I always sleep better on vacation with the slider door open and the ocean waves crashing. ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. so soothing I love that too! The cabin we were staying in when we got engaged had a babbling brook behind it. It was so great to sleep with the windows open & listen to it. Now every night is like a night at an ocean front resort

Quote: Originally Posted by Christine Morgan instead of making it a sticky I changed the title so it will come up in people's search. Thanks Christine! Not sure why I care so much, because this isn't my hotel. I just hate seeing people find this info out too late & have to deal with all these issues. Saying you have to use this one photographer at our hotel is like saying you have to marry this designated groom at our hotel. OK, not that bad, but I really think people should get have options. And don't forget- If their policy is what makes you pick another place, tell them that. They need to know it's not cool. Maybe they will change. It's a shame for people to have to take this beautiful hotel off there lists of options because of their policies.

Vari that is so useful! You have been so helpful. I'll read through it all when I get a chance. First I need to buy you a thank you gift.

Quote: Originally Posted by carly Danielle, i think there are lots of great options here. Morgan - you make me wish I was having a wedding day and marraige day! That sounds so romantic the way you describe it. Thanks! I'm super excited about it now too. I love that it started as just a way to save money & time. Now it has turned into something we are truely anticipating. Sometimes I just says "marriage day" in a sexy voice & Mike smiles. It's so hard to keep the wedding day as a celebration of the two of you when there is so much going on. I know its can be done, it just takes effort. I've heard people say the wedding feels like a whirlwind. Marriage day will be for focusing on us, with no distractions.

I think this should be made sticky. People need to know how EDR is with their fees before deciding to book their wedding there. If they chose elsewhere, they should let the hotel know the fees was the deciding factor. I used to try to warn people of EDRs policies, but I stopped because so many people were telling me they got around them. It now sounds like you can't get around them anymore. This forum is huge & growing. Maybe we can apply enough pressure to get them to change their fee loving ways.

Quote: Originally Posted by manda0812 I saw your post in the savings about this cd, hadn't got around to replying.. glad you have sorted out the noise situation, nothing worse and ear plugs are just plain uncomfortable. Maybe when they are sleeping play it really loud, in fact find some music with loads of running water and they might pee themselves in their sleep I've mentioned it in so many posts. Really, it has restored my sainity. I was losing my mine last Fall. So I can't stop spreading the word. I've tried to get them back in a similar way. I put my radio on an annoying station & held it up to the ceiling like john cusack in "say anything." I've also called the cops on them. Now that I have the ocean in my bedroom, I'm fine with all their noise.

Quote: Originally Posted by scharke The FM-3 is a work permit for foreigners who live in Mexico. It is not available unless you live here. This issue is not at all new. It was a big issue for me when I moved here three years ago. It was impressed upon me by my colleagues here that I should NOT shoot weddings here without an FM-3. I risked being discovered by Mexican authorities and I ran the risk of the resort denying entry to me at any time if I did not have the proper paperwork. I risked my entire future here if I had any problems at all, so I took two months off, sat on the beach and applied for and got my FM-3. The FM-3 isn't easy to get, not everyone who applies is granted one. FM-3 status is a very popular topic of discussion among gringos at the bars here. One theory that I heard is that when Argentina had their currency crisis (1999-2002), this area experienced a huge influx of Argentinians who began working here without documentation. The government got really serious about documented workers during this time and everything got harder for all foreigners. I don't believe this is any kind of conspiracy on EDRs part. We just had elections here and with every change of administration comes new officials. It always seems like they want to come in with a bang and all the rules get tighter after an election. It's a real and ever-present concern here. Quote: Originally Posted by Helland Photographs ... Hey Paul... thank you for your posting... however... I don't live in Mexico (I should have bought a condo years ago, when they were affordable) and I have an FM3. Without it I could not work legally in Mexico; immagration and my attorney made that very clear... This is the issue that really confuses me. When I read up on FM3s they really sound like they are only for foreiners living in Mexico. You said it took a lot of time & money to get one. Maybe because they are not truely intended for people who do not live in mexico? It's great you have one, but I really feel like there should be an alternative. There should be an easier way. People have to travel to mexico for business all the time. In the US, there is something like an FM3 & something else called a B1. It seems like their should be a Mexico equivilent to a B1. That would be the visa that would suite a US photographer flying in to Mexico for the weekend. I do not believe that photographers who do not have the proper permits are trying to break the law or be unfair. It seems like there is a big problem with the lack of the proper permit being available as an option (or it's too difficult to figure out the proper one). If Mexican citizen wants to shoot a wedding in the US, they can get a B1 visa. But, then there appears to be no similar alternative for a US citizen to shoot a wedding in mexico. Otherwise, only people who live in Mexico can photography in Mexico. The only alternative is going through huge legal trouble to bend the visa rules some & get an FM3 which doesn't sound like it is intended for this purpose. This issue wouldn't just be for photographers. Anyone who is a citizen somewhere else that needs to travel to mexico for business would need this type of visa. maybe we just haven't found the right paper work, but from everything I read an FM3 does not sound like it should be the only option. Maybe it is, but I feel like then a class of business workers is excluded. Thank you so much to everyone who is working to help us figure this out. I believe we all agree that immigration laws are important to protect local economies and want to understand the rules so they can be followed. It just troubles me that it is so difficult to get the information.

I've been having issues with loud neighbors since September. Before that, I also had sleep issues, because Mike gets up several hours before me. When he showers it keeps me awake. The other sleep problem I had was trying to nap in the living room & still being able to hear him in the bedroom. I'm a light sleeper & we live in a small, poorly soundproofed apartment. I tried a white noise CD, but the squaking birds bothered me. I'm pretty picky about my Ocean sounds. I finally found this one. I only like 3 tracks off the CD, but I just looped them. I also picked the option to have no gap between tracks. I am sleeping great now. Here is a link to the mp3s if you need some piece & quiet too. Lullaby Land_02_LappingWater Wh Noise Lullabyland.m4a.mp3 Lullaby Land_03_Ocean Wh Noise Lullabyland.m4a.mp3 Lullaby Land_04_Riverbank Wh Noise Lullabyland.m4a.mp3

Quote: Originally Posted by twinkletoes That sounds really special. I think maybe I'll put my FI in charge of the 'paperwork day'. It could be very memorable. Great idea :~) He looked so happy when I told him he was in charge of that day. From the smirk on his face, I have a hunch how we'll be spending it

I recently got a white noise, ocean sounds CD. It has helped me sleep so much. My upstairs neighbor is really loud. I could still hear her with earplugs. The ocean sounds cover it better. I'll try to upload the 3 mp3s I like. I was kind of picky. I didn't like ones with sqawking birds. So I trimmed the CD down to just 3 tracks repeating.

Quote: Originally Posted by starchild HAHA...yep, that's the key to forum etiquette. Throw a little "no offense" or "IMO" in there and you can insult people left and right! Like this - IMO I would never have my wedding at the X Resort, they do 78 weddings before noon. My wedding will be unique since it's not at a wedding factory like the X. Plus the food is bad and once I saw seaweed in the ocean. I would never ask my guests to travel to a place like that. No offense, just my opinion ) (LOL) Exactly! Usually if something starts with "no offense, but..." there is a good chance it's offensive. The stuff in between the "no offense" and "that's just my opinion" still needs to be respectful. Or you need a really good smiley to make it alright

I was worried about it too. But, now I'm glad we decided to do it this way. We told our parents & they totally approved. I also told a few friends. No one sounded at all judgy. We are telling anyone who asked that we are taking care of the paperwork before we go. Originally we planned it this way so it would be simpler & cheaper. We are saving about $1000, don't have to worry with the legal stuff, and can personalize our ceremony how we want. Now, I'm excited about it instead of just thinking of it as cheaper & easier. I know the day of the wedding I'll be so busy talking to all our guests and so worn out that night. So marriage day will be all about me & Mike. We get so excited talking about it. I'm going to wear a simple white dress & we'll go to the courthouse in the morning. Then we will honeymoon the rest of the day. We also plan to go to a Mexican restaurant that evening I also like that I put him completely in charge. He'll probably come through with some romantic plans. When we first started planning it I thought we'd try to make it as uneventful as possible so it wouldn't take away from the wedding day. Now we want to make it it's own special day.

Have you looked at the temperature at 1pm in november? maybe it's not so bad. Also, it might get dark a lot earlier. I agree though, a 1:00 wedding is tricky.

Quote: Originally Posted by lambert13 If I were you, I would definitely make it crystal clear. I think most people automatically assume that if they are invited to a wedding that it includes +1. If I were invited to a co-workers wedding in another country (that I had to pay a good amount of money to get to) and was told that my wife was more than welcome to travel along with me but was not invited to the wedding.....I would 'respectfully' decline the invite. I understand that you are putting out a lot of money for the wedding, but from the guests perspective they are putting out a lot of money to get to your wedding as well. I am not meaning to be rude or anything here. Just some food for thought. Do you also have some food for my uninvited +1's thoughts?

Would you consider making it legal before you get there? I am so excited we are doing it this way. Mike gets to plan "marriage day" because I'm planning the wedding day.

Quote: Originally Posted by Helen_S81 A while ago Morgan and I were talking about cross stitch and I said I was working on a project as a wedding gift for my daughter and her FI. Here are some pictures of the finished sewing project, before I take it to be framed. I might update the pictures once I get it framed but I thought I'd post some pictures now so you can see the detail. It has taken me about 3 months mainly just evenings, but that is what a writer's strike will do for you It is beautiful! The writer's strike has been great for my productivity, too. I haven't started my project yet, but I finally got the hankercheifs on Sunday. So now I have all the supplies. I just need to get off the computer & get to sewing.

Quote: Originally Posted by MrsV-to-be Yes that is what SheaS's photog said too - the form said she was allowed to bring in 2 cameras. she had 4 - and just had to pay a tax to allow them in. Her other option was to store them at teh airport and she said no way (of course!) so she just paid! However - the Consulate did say specifically in his email that one 1 regular camera was allowed!! do you know what she had to pay per camera?

Quote: Originally Posted by MsSunshine Thanks Morgan. I checked out Claudia's Photography and this put my mind at ease. If you want to book her, do it early. She books up fast. Search the forum & you'll see weddings she shot. All of them are great.

Quote: Originally Posted by md_ocr Not to sound funny but would you feel comfortable putting Chipndale's in the OOT bags for the women with families attending your wedding. I'm sorry, but to me, some things are just inappropriate........especially for a wedding. However, I think Money, & Kiplingers is a great idea. It's neutral and informative. Grandpa, mom, cousin, auntie.......everyone can read it. I didn't check to see where you were having your wedding.......so yes, the local papers may be in spanish. I am having my wedding in Jamaica, so the local papers are in English, but to give you a heads up, i contacted the Jamaica Travel Board and they sent me 100 FREE brochures featuring all of the tourist attractions and local venues. I didn't even have to pay for shipping. I will be including that in our OOT boxes. I actually feel a little weird putting in Money. When I have a stack of magazines & offer them to my friends, no one takes the Money magazines. I would worry they think I'm trying to push my money managing ways on them. But, the girls often take the Maxims. It's interesting how the responses varied from people saying they wouldn't care, some people not even sure why it was even a question, and some people saying absolutely not. Even though the majority said to do it, I am not going to because if one of my guests happens to not like it I wouldn't want to upset them. I don't think OK magazine is the classiest thing either, but I'm putting those in.

Quote: Originally Posted by md_ocr First of all, don't beat me up for saying this but....... In my opinion, i don't think it's tasteful. Especially for a wedding. If you have to ask "should I", I wouldn't bother. There are so many other mags to use instead.......why Maxim Something more appropiate may be a travel booklet of the place where you are having your wedding, or a "Local" newspaper from that country. Are you having mixed ages attend? I'm not sure if you are catering your wedding towards men, but I certainly would not want to open up an OOT bag and pull out a Maxim mag. Sorry folks.....just giving my honest opinion. I mentioned in my post, but we get several magazines. OK, Maxim, Money, & Kiplingers. I plan on putting in the OKs for the ladies, but I wasn't sure about the Maxims. I really had no idea how other women felt, so I asked. I was also pretty curious what the response would be. I'm already way over on my OOT bag budget, so it's either Maxim or nothing for the guys. I don't plan on paying news stand prices for magazines. I am putting in a travel booklet already. Wouldn't a local newspaper be in spanish? It's not so important I give the guys a magazine. I just always pass our magazines on to someone else so I thought this might be a good way to do it. I pile them up and when friends come over I offer them magazines. Sort of like recycling. You don't have to appologize for your opinion. This thread was started to get opinions. I have found it pretty interesting to see the varying opinions. If I was buying the magazine off the rack, I probably would pick something else. Actually, the main reason why we get Maxim, is because it was one of the ones on the list of $2 per year magazines I thought we might enjoy.

Quote: Originally Posted by Hartyt509 Morgan you are an absolute star i've been searching for it for yonks lol i wonder if i can contact him beforehand and bribe him to cut the FMIL and her new hubby out of the pics by pure accident of course lol maybe put his thumb over the lense right where your FMIL is standing I enjoy reading your posts so much. The UK slang is so much fun. I've never heard "yonks." I might have to try to work it into a conversation. My friend lived in London for a year & picked up a lot of the words. Its great. Check out claudia's work since she is on the list of vendors dreams allows. She is really great. Claudia Rodriguez, Photographer, Cancun & Riviera Maya

Quote: Originally Posted by Christa Wow, great ideas ladies. Everyone is so resourceful. I definitely have room for improvement, but here's our list: -We cook dinner at home every night. We may go out to eat once a month maybe? -My husband packs his lunch every day - takes dinner left-overs I end up buying my lunch usually because we never have enough left-overs for both of us. However, I never spend more than $5 for lunch. -I make coffee at home - saves at least $4/day -I bring cereal or a PB&J for breakfast to work every morning. -Our new home has all energy star appliance, a tankless water heater and energy efficient light bulbs. -We do not have a land line at home. -I am strongly considering taking public transportation to work to save on gas $. -I definitely use the oven heating trick that Maria shared. -I auto-transfer at least $500/month from my checking to a ING Savings account. -I contribute the max to my IRA at work. I need all the tips I can get at this point, so keep em coming ladies! That is a great one! Maxing out your IRA is so important. I do so many of the other thrify tips to be able to max out my IRA. A few years ago I participated in clinical trials for medicine to have enough money to reach the max. Luckily, I make more money now & can get there without selling my body to science. I never took anything bad. It was usually cough medicine or something like that. But, I did have to stay in the facility all weekend with a bunch of strangers having my blood drawn. I also do all sorts of experiments around campus. They pay $10-$20 per hour. The other day I played some gambling game on a computer for an hour & got $15. I did one recently at the business school & made $20 in an hour reading a magazine & pretending to shop in their mock store. I also did this cool one where you look at pictures on a computer screen and an infared light tracks your eye movement.

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t14627 here is the thread about the dreams photographer

Quote: Originally Posted by MsSunshine I was thinking of using Dreams but now that I see "no outside vendors" allowed is discouraging me from this place. I want to have a great photographer and their dj isnt that important. I guess Dreams is trying to make thing easier and simple for them. If you do decide to not have your wedding at dreams for this reason, you should tell them. Quote: Originally Posted by Hartyt509 Do you know which photographer it is please? It's somewhere on the forum who he is. I'll see if I can find it. Claudia Rodriguez is great & is on the list so atleast you won't be stuck with no good options.

Congrats! I was excited to see that too.